In search of the perfect Smørrebrød – in Copenhagen

In anything epitomises Danish food, it must be the Smørrebrød. This open sandwich is made with dark rye bread topped with an endless combination of pickled herrings, cured meats and onions or salad and is not to be confused with the Swedish Smörgåsbord, which is more of a buffet style meal (better not mention the Swedes, Denmark’s old enemy)

Copenhagen seemed the perfect place to seek out the Danish Smørrebrød and we started our quest at Slotskælderen hos Gitte Kik, a lunchtime only restaurant that is on an unobtrusive street corner, yet a stone’s throw from Amagertorv and close to where you take the DFDS Canal Tours. Down a couple of steps and you’re in a homely, packed restaurant where the owner Frank will talk you through the dishes laid out on the counter with the day’s specialities. This is the place to try the traditional style Smørrebrød with endless different styles of herring (we tried pickled, curried and fried) or combinations of cured meats, vegetables or paté as well as plenty of vegetarian toppings.

As the restaurant is just opposite the Danish Parliament building it’s a popular lunchtime haunt for Members of Parliament but even if the Prime Minister had been eating at the next table, I would have been none the wiser, although I can claim to have eaten in the same restaurant (at the same time) as Baroness Thatcher. I suspect that all those MPs really like Gitte Kik because the grandfather clocks, old fashioned pictures and cosy, low beamed ceiling remind them of a home-made lunch with their mother.

While we tucked into our plate of Smørrebrød, elegantly served on Royal Copenhagen bone china, our lunch companion Henrik educated us in the finer points of Danish table etiquete. As I love to try a little of everything, I thought that the Smørrebrød might be a bit like a Tapas where you all share a few dishes, but in fact it’s a rather polite one person, one plate affair – so no picking allowed.

You also need to remember that you should “swim before you fly” and eat the fish toppings first, then the chicken or poultry, although of course in these modern times people can please themselves . Most people would enjoy a beer with their Smørrebrød lunch but you’ll also be asked if you’d like a glass of chilled schnaps to wash down the herring – as they say in Denmark, “the fish has to swim”. You might also like to try that old favourite, Dyrlægensn natmad which translates as The vet’s night snack and is a topped with liver paté and a slice of corn beef, that the farmer’s wife would traditionally prepare for the vet to eat when he had come out to the farm to attend the livestock.

Then there’s the drinking etiquette which is even more tricky. Before you drink, be sure to shout a cheery Skål, clink glasses with everyone at the table and take a drink before you put the glass down. You can repeat this toast randomly throughout the meal as where the Brits might think that one toast is enough, the Danes apparently like to continue every time they raise a glass. Oh, and if you wonder why everyone is fixing you with a gimlet stare, it’s only because it’s considered polite to make eye contact with each person around the table as you clink glasses.

This is because if you were drinking with your enemy in the old Viking days, you’d want to keep an eye on the amount he was drinking and keep him at table as long as possible so he wouldn’t be burning your house down when your back was turned. I found this trait of locking eyes with everyone I shook hands with a bit un-nerving, as in England it would be considered rather rude to stare or make eye contact for too long.

The next place we sought out to try Smørrebrød was the Aamanns deli, a place that is as modern and fresh as Gitte Kik is cosy and traditional. It all started when chef Adam Aamans was looking for good quality ingredients to make packed lunches for his children to take to school and ended up by opening his own deli where they make everything for the sandwiches from scratch. I had a tear in my eye at such devotion, as I remembered sending my kids off to school with a bag of hula hoops, cheesy strings, prepacked mini peperoni and a penguin bar (the best that Waitrose could offer of course!)

As we arrived at Aamanns in the mid afternoon things were winding down and we had the place to ourselves as we sat at one of the modern white cafe tables, having chosen our Smørrebrød from a selection at the Deli counter. It was all impeccebly free range, organic and seasonal and looked very pretty too. I was trying to get my head around how you might get a take-out without the toppings flying around into an unappetising mess, but they have ingenious little boxes with partions to prevent that happening. I’d say that you could take out your Smørrebrød and head either for the Copenhagen lakes in one direction or to the local park in the other to enjoy your perfect open sandwich al fresco.

Anywhere else you might try out  Smørrebrød in Copenhagen?

I’d have loved to check out the Royal Cafe on Amagertorv, through an archway between the Royal Copenhagen shop and Georg Jensen – it’s a funky cafe with a few tables al fresco in the small courtyard and specialises in Smushi – a miniture open sandwich that’s a cross between Smørrebrød and Sushi.

I was also recommended Restaurant Schønnemann by top chef Henrik Yde Andersen at Kiin Kiin who takes his father for lunch there each week – I reckon that if it pleases a Michelin star chef, then it’s worth checking out.

Do you have any recommendations for where to find the best Smørrebrød in Copenhagen?

This post is part of Wanderfood Wednesday – head over to Wanderlust and Lipstick for lobsters, stinky cheese and other foodie delights

More things to enjoy in Copenhagen

Where can you eat for 500 Krone in Copenhagen?
Modern Thai food with Danish style at Kiin Kiin in Copenhagen
Out of Africa and other Danish Stories – at the Karen Blixen Museum in Copenhagen

Resources for visiting Copenhagen

• You’ll find plenty of information about places to eat and things to see on the Visit Copenhagen website
• There is a free Visit Copenhagen Mobile phone app available for iPhone, Android and other smartphones
• We stayed at the modern, stylish Ibsens Hotel, set in the arty and up and coming Nansensgarde neighbourhood near the Copenhagen lakes.

Thanks to Wonderful Copenhagen for sponsoring our weekend in Copenhagen.

www.flickr.com  heatheronhertravels’ Copenhagen – Food & Drink photoset

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Relaxing holidays and Gourmet festivals at Sani Resort in Greece

Everyone knows Greece is a country full of outstanding natural beauty – and the Halkidiki peninsula is no exception.  Its idyllic climate – coupled with relaxing beaches, beautiful scenery and countless activities to satisfy even the most demanding traveller – all make it an ideal location for a holiday.

This is where you can find Sani Resort, a resort that has been family-owned for three generations and which stretches across 1,000 acres, complete with endless golden beaches, crystal clear Mediterranean waters and the ever-present scent of pine from the forests of the Kassandra peninsula.

The resort effortlessly caters to every taste, from those on their honeymoon right through to those with families.  That’s because your trip can be as fast-paced or as relaxing as you choose.  For families, there is a watersports centre (including sailing, diving and windsurfing), tennis, PADI scuba diving, a fully-equipped fitness studio and the Asterias Sunset Cuisine. For those considering Sani Resort for their honeymoon, you can relax on the beach or explore the natural springs and the olive and citrus groves.

The resort proudly hosts a range of traditional festivals throughout the year.  For the food enthusiasts out there, there is Sani Gourmet, a food festival which is focusing this year on “New Greek Cuisine”.  In recent years, the festival has become something of a cultural sensation, enabling guests to taste delicious food from the crème de la crème of today’s top Greek chefs, all of whom are well-known and highly distinguished for their culinary experience and passion.

Sani Resort is for anyone who enjoys a combination of nature and comfort.  It’s a place to indulge yourself: enjoy a luxurious spa treatment or stroll through the orchard groves during the day and enjoy the delicious cuisine at night. If you have children, they can enjoy the range of activities that are on offer through the Melissa Crèche and Mini Club.

To find out more about the Sani Resort experience, join their Facebook Page.  There are already many people talking about their holidays and experiences at Sani Resort on the Page – so whatever you’d like to find out about the destination, you can find it out from the community at www.facebook.com/saniresort

My thanks for this sponsored post to Sani Resort in Northern Greece.

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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Bratwurst and Sacher Torte – or what we ate in Salzburg

I’d hate to be a vegetarian in Austria, where meat features heavily on every menu – it can be rather daunting to be constantly faced with slabs of roast pork, huge bratwurst sausages or goulash made with beer. Most of the food we ate in Salzburg was tasty, rib-sticking stuff majoring on roast meat with potatoes or dumplings, and to be honest my husband could think of nothing finer, washed down with a large beer. At it’s best this style of Austrian cuisine can seem like a slap-up Sunday lunch every day, but after a week of it you’ll probably be longing for a light green salad to counteract all that heavy richness.

Traditional Austrian dishes

If you want a restaurant in Salzburg that serves traditional Austrian fare, you can find it  in the pub style restaurants and Gasthaus such as the Sternbräu restaurant in the centre of the old town with 14 different restaurant rooms, each with a different decor but all serving traditional Austrian dishes.  The restaurant was originally a brewery and even Mozart apparently enjoyed a meal or two there. We were recommended some typical Salzburg dishes  such as Tafelspitz – boiled beef with horseradish sauce, Bierfleisch, a goulash made with beef cooked in a beer sauce or the roast pork knuckle served with dumplings. My other restaurant recommendation is Gasthas Kuglhof, near the airport, which is the sort of place the locals go when they want a hearty meal in a convivial setting, and we were staying conveniently close at Hotel Zur Post, who gave us the recommendation. The surroundings are a little more rural and there’s a nice garden at the back to sit outside in summer.

Bratwurst and Sauerkraut in Salzburg

Wiener Schnitzel and potato salad in St Wolfgang

Street food in Salzburg

If you’re lucky enough to hit the streets on a festival or holiday, you may come across a tent with a brass band playing and tables set outside with food on sale to soak up all the beer, which of course is the main focus! You normally order your beer (my favourite is the weissbier) from the dirndl wearing waitresses with the leather wallets passing to and fro taking orders, who you pay directly. Sometimes you can also order your food from them too, or go and get it direct from the stall. We tried the bratwurst sausage with sauerkraut (pickled cabbage) and a roll with mustard or ketchup on the side. Personally I found it a bit dry and preferred the other Austrian favourite, the Wiener Schnitzel that we had at the Mayday festival in St Wolfgang, served with a warm potato salad on the side and some berry relish. It was a bit more classy than the bratwurst, but then St Wolfgang is a pretty classy kind of place, set beside the lake with the picturesque painted houses.

For something lighter try the fish

If you can’t face another plate of roast meat, then look out for the fish on the menu. It’s usually a river fish served with lighter vegetables such as seasonal asparagus, that I ate for dinner at the lovely hotel Im Weissen Rössl at St Wolfgang where we stayed overlooking Lake Wolfgang.

Smart Food at Maybar in Hangar 7 in Salzburg

Smart Food at Maybar in Hangar 7 in Salzburg

Gastronomic Salzburg

If you’re looking for food in Salzburg that will offer more of a gastronomc experience than something to soak up the gallons of beer, then I highly recommend Hangar 7 on the edge of Salzburg Airfield. The flagship restaurant Ikarus, where they invite a different international chef each month to create a guest menu, is a place to go for the culinary experience, but we ate at the Mayday Bar which is more informal and has a interesting concept of Smart Food. You can choose from three different set menus, either brain food, mood food or beauty food where you try a succession of light dishes prettily served in glasses. This was much more my scene, with an artfully arranged pile of salad here, a froth of sauce there and a fruit smoothie to wash it down, safe in the knowledge that it was all super-healthy and making you smarter, happier or better looking.

But what about the Sacher Torte?

If you’re ready for something a little sweeter, you can pass many a happy hour sitting in a cafe with a coffee and a slice of cake, such as the boozy, chocolate Sacher Torte, made famous by the Sacher Hotel. You can still try it there sitting on the terrace overlooking the river, but I’d also recommend the Steinterrasse on the 7th floor of the Hotel Stein where they also serve it with a great view over the river and the old town. Another traditional favourite is the Apfelstrudel or the plum cake we tried that is topped with fruit and a crumble topping.  The most famous Salzburg desert is the Salzburg Nockerl, a sweet souffle of eggs and sugar and Topfenknödel with puffed pastry balls filled with cream cheese.

Don’t forget to bring home some chocolate Mozartkugeln

In Salzburg it’s hard to avoid the chocolate Mozart balls or Mozartkugeln that are sold in every gift shop and on every street corner. The most ubiquitous are the Mirabell brand, that are sold wherever you see the cut out Mozart boards. My husband and son even developed a competition to see which of them could spot the most of these Mozart cut outs. Most chocolate shops sell the Mozartkugeln singly so that you can taste before you invest in huge quantities to bring home as gifts. If you’re a chocolate connoisseur, I’d go for the Fürst brand that are made with high quality chocolate and marzipan and buy the cheaper Mirabell brand for your colleagues in the office who won’t know the difference!

Where you’ll find the Austrian food we recommend

• Sternbräu – a restaurant in Salzburg with 14 different rooms and 3 garden courtyards all serving traditional Austrian dishes in the heart of the old town
• Gasthaus Kuglhof is a traditional inn in a rural setting close to Salzburg airport and 5 minutes walk from Hangar 7
• Try your Sacher Torte at the Hotel Sacher where it was invented, or at the Steinterrasse on the 7th floor of the Stein Hotel, where they also serve great ice cream sundaes and cocktails as the sun goes down.
• Hangar 7 is an aeronautical and motor museum on the edge of Salzburg airport and a well known food destination, with the top class Ikarus restaurant and the Mayday bar where we tried the informal Smart food menu.
• Look for the Fürst Mozartkugeln exclusively in their four Konditorei around Salzburg – this article on Mozart and the Chocolate factory gives you a run down of the different brands of Mozartkugeln
• While in Salzburg we stayed at Hotel Zur Post, a comfortable, family run Gasthaus just outside the old town area of Salzburg.
• While in St Wolfgang we stayed at the gorgeous small luxury hotel, Im Weissen Rössl set right beside Lake Wolfgang.

More good things from Salzburg

Cars, Planes and Smart Food at Hangar 7 in Salzburg
Podcast – Salzburg and Lake Wolfgang in Austria
Video – Spring flowers and romance in the Mirabell Gardens

Visitor Information for Salzburg

For more information about things to do in Salzburg, visit the Official Salzburg Tourism website
For more information about Holidays in Austria visit the Austrian Tourism Website and follow them on Twitter @Austria_UK

Check out this great video about Salzburg, Innsbruck and Graz as well as the other videos about Holidays in Austria

My thanks to the Austria National Tourism Office UK for sponsoring our trip to Salzburg and Wolfgangsee

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Salzburg – around Salzburg photoset

 

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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